From left, Garvin Crout, Deandre Hinton, Karon Hadden, Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

Attorneys Michael Vincent and Raymond Burkett stand in front of Karon Hadden, Deandre Hinton, Garvin Crout, Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans as they are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor John Vela speaks as Karon Hadden, Deandre Hinton, Garvin Crout, Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor John Vela speaks as Karon Hadden, Deandre Hinton, Garvin Crout, Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

Evidence is presented showing a shell casing on the ground near a victim's car as Karon Hadden, Deandre Hinton, Garvin Crout, Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

From left, Garvin Crout, Deandre Hinton and Karon Hadden listen as they, along with Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans, are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor John Vela mimes holding a gun as he questions a witness as Karon Hadden, Deandre Hinton, Garvin Crout, Charles Robertson and Camron Williams-Evans are brought for a preliminary examination before Washtenaw County District Judge Charles Pope Thursday, April 26 2019.

PITTSFIELD TWP., MI – Christopher Marsh Jr. was “sweet meat,” an easy target to rob, according to text and social media messages between five alleged gang members accused of robbing and killing him a year ago, prosecutors say.

“Tell him you got 400 for two zip. He sweet meat,” wrote Charles Robertson, who is charged as a co-conspirator in Marsh’s death, in one of the messages.

The five men allegedly worked together as part of a gang, identified during the preliminary exam as OTF900, to set up a meeting to buy two ounces of marijuana from Marsh and rob him that day, police said. The men each face 11 felony counts in connection with Marsh’s death.

All five are charged as co-defendants in the shooting death of Marsh Jr., 19, of Ypsilanti Township, who was found wounded about 9:30 p.m., April 28, 2018, outside Glencoe Hills Apartments in the 2100 block of Glencoe Hills Drive.

They are charged with felony murder, armed robbery and conducting a criminal enterprise, as well as eight additional weapons-related and conspiracy charges.

The conducting a criminal enterprise charge was added to each of the men’s cases after the preliminary examination, with each of their attorneys waiving examination on that specific charge.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Vella was in the process of introducing more than 800 pieces of evidence to support the criminal enterprise charge when the attorneys agreed to take the matter to circuit court.

Wednesday’s hearing was a continuation of an already lengthy preliminary April 26 examination where the court heard from police witnesses who were at the scene the day of the shooting.

Vella also introduced numerous texts and Snapchat messages showing Robertson identifying easy robbery targets, including Marsh, indicating he was organizing the crimes for the group.

Pittsfield Township Det. Kyle Erskine testified Wednesday he performed a forensic investigation on the men’s cell phones and subpoenaed phone records which showed a path the men followed the day of the shooting.

Using cell tower data, phone GPS coordinates and various location trackers installed on the men’s social media apps on their phones, Erskine drew a path following the four of the men from Hadden’s home in Ypsilanti to the scene of the shooting and back home again.

Robertson’s cell phone data showed he was at work at Wal-Mart shortly before the shooting.

The men stayed in contact with each other after the shooting, sharing MLive/The Ann Arbor News stories regarding the crime and later writing a rap song about it called “MLive.”

Vella showed multiple Snapchat videos of the men belonging to the alleged OTF900 gang rapping and waiving around various handguns including one ivory-handled revolver which made numerous appearances in their videos.

OTF stands for “only the family” and 900 represents the block they live on, police said.

The men, chained and in jail garb, were seen smiling and lip-syncing to their rap songs as they were played in the courtroom.

The men’s attorneys had issue with several aspects of the prosecution’s case, namely slang used in the texts, how precise cell towers are in showing where phones are located and how the men were interrogated by police.

Robertson’s attorney, Arnold Weiner, argued that much of what his client wrote about Marsh could easily be interpreted as Marsh was not street smart and was easy to buy marijuana from, he said.

Crout’s attorney, Michael Vincent, questioned why his client was not read his Miranda rights using a standard Miranda warning sheet and why he was not allowed to call his father for an attorney during his interrogation.

Det. Jami Booth stated she read Crout his Miranda rights by memory, based off 20 years of police experience, adding she told him he could call his father when he was booked in jail.

Hinton’s attorney, Raymond Burkett, called the entire investigation against the men bias and flawed.

“I’m trying to show the court before we go to trial what a lousy job the police did,” Burkett said. “(Hinton) asked for an attorney and since he dialed a wrong number, it was considered he waived his right to attorney. It’s in the police report. This investigation was bias.”

The case is still an open investigation and the police report in question is unavailable for release to the public.

The men’s cases have been assigned to Washtenaw County Trial Judge Darlene O’Brien, with their first pretrial hearing scheduled for June 27.

All the men are being held in the Washtenaw County Jail without bond.

Each man, with exception of Hinton, faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted on the felony murder charges.

Because he was 17 at the time of the shooting, Hinton is charged as a juvenile on the felony murder charge which gives the judge the option to either give him 25 to 60 years in prison or life if convicted.